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Mabuda Guest Farm in Siteki
Behind the border to Eswatini we find a dry countryside of hills and woods that is little spectacular. When we drive through a town, however, we are surprised to see something that we haven’t seen for a long time: pavements. We reach Siteki and have a delicious lunch at The Labassin House of Grills.
Afterwards we enter Mabuda Guest Farm where we find ourselves in an unexpected paradise. High trees carry colourful blossoms, the green meadows and flower beds are neat, and the small playground is well-kept. From the campground area a breathtaking view over a green valley between the Lebombo mountains opens up. Huge palm trees sit enthroned in front of it. Left and right to the road workers are harvesting coffee.
We soon learn loving The Green Shed, the farm’s café, where we can not only taste their great coffee but also enjoy fantastic and affordable healthy snacks and unhealthy cake. We get to know Helen, the friendly manager of the farm, who tells us about the different kinds of cake that they offer. Moreover, we learn that the farm is huge and not only growing coffee but also a range of other products such as macadamia nuts.
We go for a walk in the farm area twice, once on a misty morning and once visiting Grandpa’s Garden. Grandpa’s Garden is a big, beautiful garden that was once created by Helen’s grandfather deep in the valley in the middle of dense vegetation. It is a pleasure to explore all its hidden corners and secret paths.
We also make an excursion to The Rocks, a beautiful formation of rocks, and along the farm’s ponds. The children ride on horses while we chat with one of the farm’s workers who complains about Eswatini’s corrupt king. At the campground, the children play with a red cat that explores our Defender from outside and inside with dirty paws.
“Mabuda” means “Place of Dreams” which we find a legitimate name for this beautiful farm. Our visit here was a wonderful experience and we hope to come back some day.
Hlane Royal National Park
When we enter Ndlovu Camp in Hlane Royal National Park we already see them from the car: rhinos! They are chilling at the campsite’s waterhole. We instantly get out of the car to take a closer look. The rhinos are resting on the ground just a few metres away from the fence. It is our first time to see rhinos in our lives and I am overwhelmed by how big they are in reality, not as big as elephants but much bigger than hippos and quite impressive with those long, sharp horns. I wonder how much protection the little fence would provide if one of the rhinos decided to attack the humans behind it…
A bit later we go on a game drive through the park. After only ten minutes we spot two rhinos that are peacefully grazing. We are thrilled and watch them forever. When we finally drive on we spot another two rhinos after only two minutes. These are followed by another two specimen, and then, we even meet a mother and her calf on the road, followed by actually another two rhinos. Slowly getting the impression to be in a zoo rather than a national park we wonder how big or small the park area actually is.
On our last day here, however, we realize that we have been particularly lucky to spot so many rhinos in such a short time. When we go on a final game drive to say goodbye to the rhinos we do not manage to see a single one. Apparently, on our first day they all happened to be on their regular way to the waterhole, so they had kind of gathered.
Did you know?
- Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy on the African continent
- With about 28% of the population being affected, Eswatini has the highest HIV prevalence in the whole world
- After Australia’s Uluru, the granite mountain Sibebe in Eswatini is the second-largest monolith in the world
- Eswatini has two capital cities, Mbabane and Lobamba
- Eswatini is home to the world’s oldest mine, Ngwenya Mine, first mined 43,000 years ago
Longing for more
We are heading to Eswatini’s northern border eager to restock our supplies in one of South Africa’s shopping malls (and to buy a new smartphone). Follow us to the wild north of South Africa in our next post!
Do you have feedback or questions? Leave us a comment.
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Longing for Earth 
You’re definitely in paradise there. Glad you’re enjoying it all. I know what you mean by the size of the rhinos. It’s quite a shock, isn’t it? Nothing quite compares to the African continent.
Well, to be fair, Sarah, I’ve seen some pretty big hippos too!
What a shock indeed. All my life I have believed that a rhino is like a hippo with horns, but in reality it is more like an elephant without a trunk!